Hi, I'm Brenda, owner of a small home based business in Canada. Snug as a Bug Baby Slings. I've been following this CPSIA proposal and this law will not only hurt U.S base business's but us in Canada as well! Even though Canada does not have this testing (yet), non of my few distributors in the U.S will be able to sell my Slings anymore. I have built my home run business for three years now and have finally gotten to the point where I have a few distributors in the U.S.
Will this law prohibit Canadians from selling in the U.S?
I can't see how, since we don't have these policies here.
I guess we'll just hope for the best. I've grown to love home business products more than any huge Retail stores, the quality and customer service is far superior. It would be a crime to close all of these small business's down!

Will this law prohibit Canadians from selling in the U.S? I can't see how, since we don't have these policies here.

Hi Melanie and Brenda. Sorry for how we're meeting under such bad circumstances.

This affects anyone who distributes to, in or from the US. Not saying it's fair but it's illegal under international law to only exclude or enjoin specific countries (China is a popular target) so it must apply to everyone.

Hello! My name is Cathe and I "run" a small business called Glory Quilts. I have been teaching quiltmaking for about 15 years and for the past 20 years, I have made upscale children's garments and baby quilts (as well as items for adults, but the children's items are more profitable.) I have made only one-of-a-kind items, to sell locally at craft/art shows, to private clients, online through my website, and a few at etsy and ebay. This has helped me support and raise my family and pay for their education. I don't want to be rich or build an empire... I just want to go on making and selling one-of-a-kind quilts and clothing.

If a scrap quilt has 50-100 different fabrics in it, options for unit and component testing are equally absurd. Perhaps quilts will become extremely rare and valuable collectibles.

I have been waiting until my sons were all grown to develop a new branch of my business, and I guess I am there. As soon as I had them all graduated, into and out of college, the military and married off... no more excuses. I only have one still at home, commuting to college. In the fall, he will be going off to a different school, so DH and I will be completely alone!

So if I can't continue to create clothing and quilts, I can develop this other line of business. Yesterday it made me so angry, and I wanted to just KICK myself for not taking it seriously months ago. Today I just feel very sad. I have piles of fabric - some of it specifically childrens fabrics - and I can't possibly sew that much for my granddaughter.

My name is Tara and I am one of the owners of a children's trunk show company, Three Mommas. All of our items are custom (customers choose the style, fabric, trims, etc.), so as you can imagine, depending on how you "interpret" the act, compliane is essentially impossible for us.

We are working diligently on this - both on complying and on contacting anyone and everyone we can to try to change this. I appreciate everyone's information and hope we can pool our knowledge and resources to make some change in this.

Btw, please know that the safety of children is paramount to me, and by no means do I feel that a profit is more important!

hi my wife and i own a childrens resale store in redmond OR called kids n style and her parents own a resale stor in bend OR. we just opened about a 7 months ago and they have been doing this type of business for 20+ years. now it is all in jepordy.

I just launched my website selling my designs a couple of weeks ago and now I am concerned I might be shutting down come Feb. 10. I design and sell embroidered organic cotton tees and onesies, with just a few adult designs right now. Since I just found out about this legislation this morning, I am still researching, reeling and trying to develop a plan forward. It rocks my world to think of all my beautiful shirts considered contraband and destined for the landfill.

I set my retired mother on fire with this information and she has already spoken with someone from her rep's office who said a press release would be issued Friday helping clarify matters. He was aware of the resale stores concerns, but ignorant of other small business victims of this thoughtlessly designed legislation.

On a more personal introductory note, I am wife to one and mother to four biological little kiddos and one adopted teenager. God help me I felt inspired to up and start this home business about six months ago. This should be an interesting year!

Hello! My name is Brandie and I have been lurking on this forum for about a month and thought that it was time that I introduced myself. I was getting ready to launch my girls' clothing line Little Lotti this spring when I 1st heard about the new legislation. I quickly put that on hold and have been reading everything I can about CPSIA. I have spoken with all of my state representatives, the Counselor General of the CPSC and anyone else that I feel can help in any way. I am not ready to give up this dream but am at a complete loss as to what to do. I can afford the "reasonable' testing for now but don't know if it is worth it to launch now when I might not be able to stay in business when the requirements change. I got an estimate on the 3rd party testing requirements for the Fall '09 collection that I had designed and it came it at a "not possible for me" $1400. I am praying for a miracle and some much needed guidance. I have been reading the blog and everything on the forum and can't wait to buy Kathleen's book at the end of the month and dive into that.

From their website:
"The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) was created in 1953 as an independent agency of the federal government to aid, counsel, assist and protect the interests of small business concerns, to preserve free competitive enterprise and to maintain and strengthen the overall economy of our nation. We recognize that small business is critical to our economic recovery and strength, to building America's future, and to helping the United States compete in today's global marketplace. Although SBA has grown and evolved in the years since it was established in 1953, the bottom line mission remains the same. The SBA helps Americans start, build and grow businesses. Through an extensive network of field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations, SBA delivers its services to people throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U. S. Virgin Islands and Guam."

There are district and regional offices, as well as, the national office.

I am Marisa the owner of the very small, almost out of business partly due to CSPSIA and partly due to a very busy life. I am also the daughter of one of your members, although I don't know her user name- Victoria Jones from Victoria Jones Collection and Hawaiian Cowboy.

Hello. I'm Charlotte, mom to 2 sons, grammie to a grandson and a grandson-to-be in April, and daughter to 2 parents I'm helping to care for in in-home hospice care.

I'm the owner of Grammie's Attic, an online and retail children's clothing boutique specializing in classic and heirloom baby and toddler clothing. I sell new apparel from medium sized manufacturers, small specialty manufacturers, and many small at-home custom crafters (such as hand crocheted booties, hand smocked bonnets, hand knit sweaters), as well as what might now fall into the category of "resale" but I call nearly new or vintage/heirloom.

I suppose I'll still be able to sell the items that are not new without certificates because most are vintage white cottons or linens from the early 1900s with mother of pearl or shell buttons, but 85% of my inventory is new and manufacturers are not providing the requested certificates. I have 2 products certified out of more than 4000. I'm still hoping there will be some sort of exemption for existing inventory because otherwise 5 years of 18 hour days will be down the drain. But what really breaks my heart is the hopeful moms-to-be who call and say, "But I just found your website and my baby isn't due until March so I haven't picked a christening date yet. So this doesn't apply to me, right? You'll still be able to sell me a christening gown, right?"

But I won't give up without a fight! This forum has given me the information and the links to sign petitions and email everyone I know, including friends, family, congressmen, the president, and my 10,000+ customers. I also created a page on my website to let customers know why I might not have inventory available after February 10 and what they could do to help: http://www.grammies-attic.com/cpsia.html

BrandieP, I've found some of the comments you've posted elsewhere (retail thread) to be VERY enlightening. I'm planning to use some of your comments for another entry on F-I and will cite you. Thank you for leaving those.

Hi I'm Michelle and have to say that I have a very familiar story to many here on this forum. I left my PT job back in May to finally give my dream a go, to design a line of organic children's clothing, under the name of Schuylark. That was before I new anything about the new laws, and maybe naively, before the whole economy started circling the drain. Maybe I would have done things differently, but then again, had I stayed I would have been laid off 2 months later, like all the other designers at the company, so who's to say what's right.
Anyway, I have the designs done and the logo, website started(and stopped) and such, sourced the fabric I based my designs around and was starting to get quotes for sampling and going forward, when all this hit me like a ton of bricks. Stopping everything, I am now unsure as to the future, well, of the future and if/how to proceed. There seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel when there was talks of component testing as an option, but is that enough? I was starting small, and trying to do it by the book, and I am not trying to produce anything that would endanger mine or anyone else children, so I have been reading all the posts, trying to wade through the legalize of the CPSC, (with MANY thanks to Kathleen for making it all more understandable to say the least) and figure out if I continue or not....women's wear is looking good, or maybe I could drive a bus

@Schuylark. Welcome! You are not a guest here, you are a member of "The Family". Come join us on the forum and put your Bio under the Bio column. We'd all love to hear more about you and answer any other questions we can. You are not alone, and there are lots of women's wear DEs here. Come on over.